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Fascinating Read for All Ages: The Extras
I feel sure that few people have heard about the circumstances described in this memorable book. It is not surprising that Kathryn Lasky has brought to life a courageous young girl caught up in the horrors of the Holocaust, given her many past well researched historical novels. This book teaches a great deal, and it shines a light on the story of the so-called Gypsy Plague which resulted in thousands of Gypsy and Romani people meeting the same fate as Jewish captives during Hitler's reign. I was aware that Gypsy people had been persecuted, along with gays and others as well as Jews, but not of the scope. Leni and her parents had a comfortable life in Vienna before their arrests. A great deal of the story centers around a reprieve of sorts when Leni and her mother, along with other Romani, are selected to be extras in a movie by the famed German actress, Leni Riefenstahl. I learned a great deal about her, about the Nazi treatment of Gypsies, and about this unique situation. The book is for young readers, but the information is such that I recommend it for adult readers as well.